Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Hidden Daughter
Seraphina’s POV
My entire body trembled as chaos consumed my thoughts. Nothing made sense anymore.
"Theo, sweetie, why don’t you go outside and play on the swings?" I suggested, smoothing down his tousled brown hair with unsteady fingers.
His face lit up instantly as he headed toward the door, but then he stopped mid-step, his small brow creasing with worry. "Mommy, can I play with Elena today? She has this awesome blue truck that’s really big."
Elena’s name hit me like a punch to the stomach. The little girl was innocent and sweet, absolutely precious. But she belonged to Roxanne’s world. And trust had become a luxury I couldn’t afford.
"Not today, baby," I managed, forcing my voice to sound normal.
His bottom lip jutted out in disappointment. "But why? Elena shared her red crayon with me yesterday. She’s super nice."
I dropped to his level, looking directly into his earnest eyes. "I know she’s wonderful, Theo, but today you need to play with the other kids, okay? Stay near the playground equipment."
"But I don’t understand why I can’t see Elena," he pressed.
A quiet sigh escaped me. "Because Mommy needs you to listen right now, sweetheart. Sometimes mommies have to make decisions that don’t make sense yet. Go play now."
That satisfied him completely. He was such a trusting child, never questioning my judgment. He planted a wet kiss on my cheek before bouncing toward the door with renewed energy.
I watched him disappear outside, my stomach churning with anxiety. Keeping him away from Elena felt wrong when it was based purely on my suspicions about her mother. But I had much larger concerns demanding my attention.
The door clicked shut, leaving me in suffocating silence. I stood alone with the most devastating question of my life.
Had I delivered twins?
The notion seemed absolutely insane. Completely impossible. Yet Dorian’s documents appeared authentic, and despite my hatred for him, he had never once deceived me before.
I kept telling myself Dorian couldn’t be trusted, but his claims had definitely gotten under my skin. I needed verification from someone who had actually witnessed that day, someone with no motivation to deceive me.
I grabbed my phone and called Ma and Pa. They were my only sources of truth from that moment.
The phone barely rang before they answered, the sound of crashing surf filling the background.
"Seraphina! Sweetheart, what a lovely surprise to hear your voice!" Ma’s tone was bright and joyful.
"We’re having an incredible time! Thank you so much for pushing us to take this vacation," Pa chimed in enthusiastically. "You made this dream possible for us."
A real smile crossed my face despite everything. "You both earned it completely. I can hear those waves in the background, and I know you’re probably relaxing, but I need to ask you something really important."
Their laughter carried the sound of pure contentment. "Don’t be silly, dear. We’re never too occupied for you. You’re our family."
"Do you remember when I gave birth? The day Theo came into the world?"
A brief pause settled over the line.
"Remember it? Seraphina, that was the most joyful day of our entire lives except for our wedding day," Mr. Jenkins responded, his voice becoming serious. "Our grandson was born. We could never forget a single detail."
"Perfect," I whispered. "Did you observe anything unusual that day?"
I heard Mrs. Jenkins adjusting the phone. "Unusual? I’m not certain what you mean, sweetheart."
"Everything seemed fairly routine, didn’t it?" Mr. Jenkins reflected. "Though Theo was removed almost immediately afterward. They claimed he was fragile and required observation. He went straight to the Monitoring Ward, not even the regular nursery, and we couldn’t hold him for several hours afterward. That was difficult." I knew this part already, but I needed more information.
I pressed carefully. "The medical staff. The physicians. That moment when they removed him. Think carefully. Please."
Ma’s voice returned, suddenly quieter, as if she was reaching back through time.
"Actually, now that you bring it up, Seraphina, I did find something odd," she remembered. "They wheeled Theo out in that tiny enclosed crib very rapidly, right? But just after the primary doctor departed, another nurse, an extremely tall woman, came rushing in. She brought another small, empty gurney covered with a sheet, and she seemed incredibly anxious."
"Exactly!" Mr. Jenkins interrupted, sounding suddenly disturbed. "She barely acknowledged our presence. She just moved around your room quickly and then wheeled that second gurney out through the side exit, not the main hallway. And she moved so urgently, like she was concealing something."
"There was such commotion everywhere," Mrs. Jenkins continued. "We assumed perhaps they were delivering fresh linens or medical supplies. But why require a separate gurney, and why the side exit?"
Ice-cold terror flooded through me, freezing me completely. Two gurneys. Two bundles. Urgency, a hidden side exit.
Why would they require two gurneys for a single baby?
I squeezed my eyes shut, resisting the crushing realization that was forming. The hospital had reported my baby was weak. But what if one infant had been weak, and the other had been stolen?
"Seraphina? Are you there, darling? What’s happening?" Mrs. Jenkins asked, alarm creeping into her voice.
I swallowed painfully, trying to maintain composure while my hands shook violently.
"Nothing’s wrong right now, Ma and Pa. I just need to work through something myself first. I promise I’ll explain everything."
"You contact us immediately if anything’s troubling you. We love you deeply, sweet girl."
"I love you both too. Enjoy that beautiful beach, okay?"
I ended the call, letting the phone fall onto the couch cushions.
My knees felt unstable. I required official documentation, not just Dorian’s files, but records straight from the medical facility.
I dialed the hospital, my heart hammering frantically against my chest.
After waiting over thirty minutes to verify my identity and file number, they finally agreed to email the records.
When the email arrived, the filename seemed to mock me from my screen.
I opened the attachment with trembling hands, nearly dropping my phone.
I scrolled through dates, medication lists, and physician notes. Everything aligned with my memories - birth time, weight, attending doctor’s name.
Then I found the section marked Fetal Count and Outcome.
My breath caught painfully, a strangled sob escaping.
The records matched Dorian’s documents exactly.
Fetus One: Male. Healthy. Outcome: Discharged to Mother.
Fetus Two: Female. Outcome: Transferred to Specialized Care Unit, Date Redacted.
The same file. I had delivered both a son and a daughter.
I collapsed against the cold wall of our spacious living room that suddenly felt claustrophobic, the floor shifting beneath my unsteady feet.
I didn’t just have Theo. I had a daughter.
And she existed somewhere in this world while I remained completely ignorant of her.
How was this possible? How could I have carried twins for months, endured childbirth, and never known about her existence? The guilt consumed me.
Where was my daughter now? Was someone feeding her? Was she warm and comfortable? Was she healthy? Dorian claimed he had her, but he was manipulative with his own agenda. Was she suffering? Was she protected?
This was entirely my responsibility. If I hadn’t fled the Fang, if I had delivered here, none of this would have occurred. My desperate need for freedom had cost me my own child.
A fierce, protective, terrifying maternal instinct exploded within me. I had only learned of her existence hours ago, but already I felt connected to this child I had never met. I would destroy everything to ensure her safety.
But how could I rescue her?
I faced two options, both extremely dangerous.
If I told Julian, Dorian would become enraged. He would certainly follow through on his threats.
But if I kept this from Julian, I would be hiding a massive, life-changing secret from my mate, creating a betrayal I might never overcome. Especially since this was his daughter too.
Our daughter’s safety was paramount. That was all that mattered now. I had to protect her, keep her from danger, and bring her home.
